Oiling system for motor cars



March 2.1, 1933,

E. c. STANLEY OILING SYSTEM` FOR MOTOR CARS Original Filed Feb. 10, 1926 f NQR mit', "gn

ATToRNEYs the car driver.

venient and the'oilinglof the different moving parts may be accomplished Without great Patented Mar. 21, 1933 i UNITED STAT EDGAR` CLARK STANLEY,4 or GLEN: CovE, NEW Yonx, AssiGNoEg-BY AssieN- Eis 'PATEN-r OFFICE' MENTS, 'ro Moron ANDPLANE `ACCEssoraria-s, INCL, or DETR'CIT, iviitm'iGAN,` A con;

PORATION OF DELAWARE f c oILING sYs'rEivr ron Moron. cARs f Application med rebruary 10,1926, serial No. 871,246. nenewefAug'ustiii, i932.

Y Thisinvention relates tolubricating sys-- tems, and has to do more particularly with a system which is especially adapted for use inamotor car. f Y

In the modern'motor car vthere are many parts on thechassis Which,;because of their relative movement When the car is in operation, require continual lubrication, and heretoore the oiling or other lubrication of these parts has been accomplished by the use of oil or grease cups Which requireconstant replenishment. These cups are' placed so as to discharge parts Where relative movement takes place, and in many instances the cups are disposed at points Where they are accessible only'witli diiiiculty. It is consequently a laborious op'- eration to keep the cups filled with the lubricant, and owing to the large number ordinarily required, frequently one or more cups may be overlooked or Will run dry unnoticed, and this results in rubbing or Wearing of the parts and in making the car noisy.

Attempts have been made to solve this difficulty by the installation Von .the motor car of piping or conduit systems connected With a `central reservoir and leading to the diierent points at rwhich lubrication isv required. In some of these systems the distribution of the oil or other lubricant is accomplished by means of a pump of suitable Jform, which is brought into operation Whenever required by These systems are quite condii'liculty, but as they requireA frequent ina-` nipulaticn by the attendant or driver, Whenever this action is neglected the-'same Vdii'iiculties due to lack of lubricationmay Varise and some Wear mayroccur before the condition is noticed.

The present invention is directed to the provision of an'oiling system for use in motor cars Which is entirely automatic in op eration, which is brought into` action to supply lubricant to the parts which require it Whenever the car is running, and Which automatically stops the delivery of the lubricant when the cary is at rest; In this system a central reservoir or receptacle of lubricant .tends from one end tof the other of the cony v. duits. At the points Where they lubricant -is the lubricant to the surfaces of the surfaceswhereazsupply of lubricant is necessary. l The*central` reservoir is capable of being `tightly sealed andl is placed beneath the hood ofthe cafr^,`fsothat it Willbe exposed Vto the heat developedbythe motor'vvhenv'the latter is. in operation. The conduits arefalso oil-tight,and Within these conduits is placed a material, such as a fibrous strand, Which eX- to Ibe discharged', this strand may contact of oil is placed in them'ain reservoir, andthe `latter is then sealed. The main: conduits are connected to the reservoir/.by a, Siphon tube Within which the librous material lies, and

the lubricant Wets the: fibrous 'material and 70 is carried through it by capillary action.

.Upon operation of Vthe motor, .heat is transferred to the contentsiofth'e tankand the` lubricantand the air trapped in-:theftank above the lubricant expand and pressure is r created., 'This pressure assists thecapillary attraction in causing the flow 'of the lubricant through the vstrand and-eventually the entire strand is Wet with they lubricant' which ybention required is the occasional replenishment ofthe lubricant in the reservoir. The lubricant is discharged only when required during the operation of the car'y and the ow is cutoff when the car is not .being used..L .y y For a better `-understand-ng 'ofthe present gins to liovv out through thevend of the strand *Bro* When thev motor is stoppedja'nd Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan View, largely diagrammatic, of a portion of a. motor car chassis, showing the installation of parts`of-the present system,

through the main oil receptacle,

Fig. 3 is asectional view through tion of a. main linerof the lsystem to a branch, Fig. 4 is a View in elevation of a spring shackle,.illustrating the manner of supplying lubricant thereto, and Y v Fig. 5 is an end View ofthe parts illus# tratedinFig.1f..V (Y. Referring now to' the drawing, the motor car is illustrated conventionally and toV a large extentY diagrammatically, in 'Fig 1. This car is shown as having a chassis formed in the usual way of side Vchannel vmembers V10, whicliare connected bycrossvmembers,

not shown..y In the frontend 'of vthe car, under thehood, is disposed the motor 11, the

y cylindersof which are provided with water jackets connected by circulating pipes 12V and 13 to a radiator 14.- 'At the -rear end o'f the hood is a dash 15, and on this dash, be-

neath the hood, at any convenient point, 'is' mounted the ina'in'oil reservoir, 16. Y v

This reservoir or pressure tank is of any convenient form, Vbut is preferably inade Vof metal and is'provided withv a cover V17 secured tothe receptacle in any convenient manner, so asl to seal thek latter. In this cover is avfilli'ng opening 18, which may be Ytightly closed by-ineans of a plug. Extending through the cover are tubes l19 and 20, the inner ends of which terminate close to the bottom of the receptacle. These tubes extend through appropriate openings in the cover and are secured in positionby nuts 21 lin the ,usual way. The tubes `19 and 20 are siphon-shapedftypes, and vare bent around the edge of the cover and vextend downwardf' 1y, being connected to tees 22, 23, at their lower ends, forming parts of main conduits 2t-and 25. These main conduits are secured tothe frame of the car in any convenient manner, and extend throughout the length of thelatter. The conduits and the tubes 19 areformed of metal, and are preferably copvper. tubes of a relatively small bore.` The main conduits 2land 25 areY connected to nuinerous'brancli conduits, as, for instance, those designated 26 and 27, leading to the steering knuckles,and similar branch lines lead from the main conduits to othery points vwhere lubrication is required. Y

The tubes 19 and 20, the. inain conduits, and the branch lines contain a strand or lilament 28, preferably of fibrous material, and

.i these strands extend beyond the inner ends of the tubes 19 and 20, as at 29, 29, lying on the lower end of thefreceptacle. Numerous materials are suitable for use as the strand of the oil.

or wick, as, for instance, asbestos rope, or cotton gauze fabric, commonly known as band` age material, which may be rolled into a long strand and drawn through the tubes and conduitsin any convenient way. The purpose of this strand or wick is to provide a conductor or Vmedium through which the rious material similar to those mentioned will be recognized as suitable for the purpose.

The strand .should substantially fill the tube v 19 andv 2O may extend only from the interior oil may flow by capillary attraction, and vathe juncsoy of the receptacle to the tees 22 and 23, where the strands designated 29 contact with the main strand 28, extending through the conduits. A similar construction is used in the branch lines. Each branch contains a strand,

the'end The branch lines which are connected in of which rests upon the'niain strand van oil-tight. manneivwith the conduits, extend I to the points at whichthe oil is to be delivered, as, for instance, to the shackle bolt 30,

illustrated in Figl. Here the branch line 31 leads lalong the frame extension 32 to an opening 33 drilled in the bolt housing. The

shackle may similarly be drilled lengthwise, i

as at 341. The. strand withinthe tube 31 extends beyond the end of thek tube so as to n bear against the .surface of the bolt 30, and the passage 34? connects the inner face of the bea-ring in which the bolt rests with the bearing 35, in Awhich the lower bolt 36 lies. A similar construction is used at the Aother places on the chassis where oil is to be deliv-v ered, the filamentv preferably extending out of the tube a slight distance and lying in con- 1 tact with the surface to be distributed.

lith the arrangement illustrated, a quanlover which the oil is Vtity of oil isintroduced into the receptacle and when the motor is started it develops heat which causes the oil and air within'the receptacle to expand. Since the receptacle is sealed this develops a V.pressure on the oil which forces it upwardly through the tubes 19 and20, the heat decreasing the viscosity 'f The oil is thus caused to flow through the strand in part due to the action of the pressure, and in part by capillary `at-,

traction. The oil tank is preferably mounted on the dash above the inain conduits so that gravity Vassists the iiovv of oil. The heat developed bythe. motor produces a pressure erating and the pressure causes the oil to flow out through the fibrous conductor to the surfaces to be lubricated. The strand controls the rate of'floiv and also serves as a storageniediuin for oil within the conduit. The delivery of oil is slow and is to seine extent dependent on the rate atl `which the drop ,which continues so long as the motor is op- A Y of oil at the endjof the conduit is removed Vby and the end of the conduit. When the car relative movement ofthe bearing surface is stopped and the motor-cools, the temperature of the eiland `air in the receptacle similarly drops.

The oil and air contract in volume and since some of the oil'has been taken from the tank, a slight vacuum is created. This tends to draw oilback through the conduits into the tank.y Air also tends to flow back through the conduitintothe 'tank 'and eventually through leakage or by reason `of the return ow of air, the vacuum` 1s broken.A A certain amountof oil clings tothe strands ofthe conductor in thepiping so'that the Vstrands remain moist with oil.

been in` operation for a time and the motorV largely automa time,

quired.

` generated,

v.oil'can from the tank to any bearing since some of Vleakaggge of oil is is also prevented by reason of the fact that When the rmotor isagain started and heat pressure is developed in the tank forcing Vthe oil outward again, but since oil has been retained by the strands, the delivery bof oil to the bearings is not delayed untilV flow the entire length ofthe piping theoil vin the strand is forced onward and replaced by oil from the tank. A I have found that with this system, when the car has is then-stopped, oil is withdrawnifrom the lines backward to the tank so that the ends of thestrands in contact with the surfaces vto be lubricated are moist butnot as wet as they are in normal operation'. Consequently, prevented and'such leakage the tank is sealed and when the system is not operating, there'is no pressure in the tank which would tend to force oil out of it. The system, it will be observed, is therefore tic in operation. vThe receptacle is replenished with oil" from time'to but so 'long as a sufficient'quantity oil is present to cover the ends of the tubes 19k and 20,VV the vsystem will operate satisfactorily and the oilis used at avery slow rate so that frequent replenishment is not re- 'Ihe system as abovedescribed is satisfactory for ordinary conditions, but where the car is to beused during the winter or in low temperatures,it would be necessary to use an oil .of very light body in order to insure its proper distribution. Inorder to avoid any difficulties thatmight arise forj these reasons, I prefer to enclose the receptacle within a metal jacket 37'which is connected through pipes 38 and 39 in the water circulating system. In the winter hotpwater iperature.

fcoming from the water jackets of the motor passes through the chamber 37 on its way to the radiator, and thus the oil within the receptacle is rapidly raised to the desired tem- With jthis water-jackete'd receptacle'it is possible to make use of a medium body oil under all conditions and the system comes into operation quickly as soon as the v`in the pipesl 38"and 39, water through the water part of the operator.

motonwarwms upa,` I -provide suitable valves so that 'the flow -of in summer or when the atmospherictemperabecause oil'is distributed ing'of the car will bring about the distribu- 'tionof the oil throughout the piping system;` 'Owing towthelpresence of the strandsor .wickl w within the tubing, the system may be said to be practically dry because onlya small ,quantity o f oil is present in the pipingand in this respect the presentA system is entirely by the driver.

jacket is: prevented i different from similar systems'in',whichl oil isdistributed by means offa pump operated Accordingly, ifv one of the f pipesnf thepre'sent system, becomes Adami' aged or broken, vno considerable quantity of oil will escape and so'long as the strands arev in contact breakage of any pipe is n otiseri- `ous because the oil would be` conducted through the. strands by' the capillarya'ction.

operator. The presen-t system merely requires replenishment-of the oil inthe main reservoir, and so long as the supply of oil -is available'the starting kof the car'engine' l will automatically bring about adistribu- `In the pump-operated systems, the operator is required notv only to replenishthemain reservoir fromtime to time,}but al'sothe dis @tribution of the oil throughthe-system'rey quires occasional attention on the part'of the tion of oil, and this distribution'fwillbe cut c oft as soon as the engine is stopped. y 1 l Iclaim: ,Y LAn oiling systemfor use in conjunction vwith a prime mover comprising a sealed receptacle to contain o1l,th'e yreceptacle Ibeing so mounted asv to be exposed to heatfappflied during vthe operation of the primemover, a

conduit leading from below the. surface ,y of the oil Vinthe receptacle t-o a .point in proxwithin` the conduit extending a substantial proportion of the Ilength thereof, said sys- Ytem'upon operation of the prime mover 'and the applicationof heat ltorthe Huid within the receptacle causing oil to flow from the receptaclev to flow of oil tocease upon the stopping ofthe prime mover andthe cooling of the receptacle.'

' 2. An oiling system for use in conjunction with a primemover, comprising a'sealed receptacle to contain oil and to be heated upon operation of the prime mover, a Siphon-con- 4duit leading from` the receptacle to apoint in proximity toan element `to be lubricated, a 'wick within theconduit extending a substantial Vproportion ofthe length thereof,

imity to anelementtobe lubricated, a-wick i the `element vand causing the l saidsystern upon operation ofthe ,prime mover and the application-of heatfto the fluid within thereceptacle causing oil to flow from the receptacle to the element and causing the flow of oil to cease upon the stop- `-ping of the prime mover kandthe cooling of the-receptacle. l a 3. .An oilingsystem for use in conJunction with a prime mover, comprisingl a sealed receptacle-to. contain oil, the receptacle hav- --ing heat` supplied thereto upon operation of `the'ffprime mover, la VSiphon-conduit leadf' .ingffromthe receptacle to a. point in prox- "imity to an element to be lubricated, a wick v.within lthe conduit, said wick having substantia'lly the lsame cross-sectional area as the conduit, and extending a substantial proportion of the length of said conduit, said vsystem'upon operation of the prime mover andthe application of heat to the fluid with- VVin the recept'aclecausing oil to flow from the receptacle to the element and causing the fiow'of `oil to' cease uponlthe stopping of the prime mover and the ,cooling of the receptacle.

Y '4.- -An oiling's'ystem for use in conjunction with a prime mover'comprising a sealed receptacle to contain oil and to be heated upon operation of the prime mover, a` Siphon-conduit leading from the receptacle to a point inv proximity'to an element to be lubricated, v a Wick within the conduit and occupying substantially the entire` effective volume thereof, said system upon operation of the prime mover and the application of heatto the fluid c.

within the receptacle causing oil to flow from the receptacle to the'. element and causing the 'fiowof oil ,to cease upon ythe stopping of the prime-mover and the cooling of the receptacle.

5. An oiling system for use in'c'onjunction with a prime mover comprising a sealed receptaclefto contain oil and to be heated upon operation of the prime mover, afsiphon-con- @duit leading from the receptacle to a point below the ,oil level, branch conduits connected to the Vsiphon conduit and extending to points inproximity to elements to be lubricated, a wick within the Siphon-conduit, and

extending substantiallyv throughout f the -length thereof, branch Pwicls within the `branch conduits and contacting with the first mentioned wick, said system upon operation of the prime mover and the application of l heatvto the fluidk within the receptacle caus ing oil to flow from the receptacle to the elements and causing-the flow of oil to cease upon the stopping of the prime Amover and `the cooling of the receptacle.

6. An oiling system for use in a `motor car,

.comprising the combination of a sealed receptacle mounted on the carbeneath the moy ftorhood and containing a quantity of oil a conduit leading from ,the receptacle tothe points on the car-which require lubrication,

Yand a porous conductor lying within the conduit and substantially fllingthe latter, this conductor having a loose structure whereby loil may be transmitted through it, and the receptacle being mounted in such proximity to the motor that the fluid therein isL heated and expanded by the heat developed by the motor when the latter is in operation, the exn pansion of the fluid producing pressure in the receptacle assisting the flow of oil tothe@ conductor.

7 An` oiling system for use in a motor car comprising the combinationof a sealed receptacle mounted inproximity to thefmotor and vcontaining a quant-ity of oil, 'a piping*- system mounted on the chassis and extending 'from a point in the receptacle belowthe normal oil level therein to points on the car which require lubrication, and aconductor of loosetion to the motor thatthe fluid therein is l heated and expanded by the heat devel'oped' by the motor when the 'latteris inoperation to produce a pressure in the receptacle assisting the flow of oil through the conductor.v

8. An oilinos stem for use 1n a motor car `ly compacted fibrous material` extending-5 4through the piping' system from one end' to the other and substantially filling the piping, the receptacle being mounted in such-relacomprising the combination of a sealed yre-f` ceptacle mounted beneath the hood of the motor and containing a quantity of oil a pair of tubes passing through the top of the receptacle and terminating below the lower end of the latter, the inner ends of these tubes?.`

lying close'to the bottom of the receptacle, a

pair of main conduits onfeither side of the frame members ofthe chassis and connected to the tubes, a plurality of branch lines leading from the main conduits to the points on?? the car whichrequire lubrication, and conductors extending throughout the tem'consisting ofthe tubes, the conduits, and the branch lines, these conductors providing a medium through which :the oil may flow,`

the receptacle being mounted on the car in such proximity to the motor that the fluid in piping systhereceptacle is heated and expanded by the Y heat developed by the motor when the'latter is in operation, the expansion ofthe fluid producing pressure inthe receptacle' assisting 'the fluid of oil through the conductor.

- 9. An oiling system for use in a motor car, comprising thegcombination of a receptacle containing the lubricant, a conduit leadingv tor is in operation, comprising a water jacket substantially enclosing the receptacle and connections from the water jacket to the water-circulating system ofthe ca r motor.

10. An oiling system for use ina motor car, comprising the combination of a closed receptacle adapted to contain a quantity of lubricant, a water jacket substantially enclosing this receptacle, connections to the water jacket by which the `water, jacket be-l comes a part of the water-circulating system of the motor of the car, a siphon tube through the wall of the receptacle having its inner end lyingclose to the bottom of the latter and beneath the normal lubricant level, a conduit connected to the other end of the tube extending along the chassis, branch lines leading from the conduit to the points at whichthe lubricant is tobe delivered, and a conductor extending through the tube, the conduit, and the branch lines, the inner end of the conductor lying beyond thel end of the tube and in contact with the lubricant, this conductor being formed of a loosely matted material and providing a medium through which the lubricant may iiow by capillary attraction.

11. An oiling system for use in conjunction with a prime mover which comprises a sealed receptacle for oil placed in a position such that it is exposed to heat generated by the prime mover during operation thereof,` a conduit leading from below the surface of the oil in the receptacle to a point above the said surface and then to a point below the oil level, and a line leading from the conduit to a vpoint inproximity to an element to be lubricated, said system upon operation of the prime moverl and the application of heat tothe fluid within the receptacle, causing oil to flow from the receptacle to the element the ow of oil to cease upon the stoppin of the prime mover and the cooling ofthe uid within the receptacle.

12. An oiling system for use in a motor car' comprising the combination of a sealed receptacle for oil mounted on the car to be heated by heat generated by the motor in operation, and a conduit forming a siphon to siphon the oil vfrom the receptacle to the points on the car which require lubrication, the receptacle upon operation ofthe motor, 'receiving heat causing the iiuid therein to be expanded, such expansion producing pressure in the receptacle assisting in the flow of oil throughthe conduit.

13. An oiling system for use with a prime mover which comprises the combination of a sealed tank for containing oil and a quantity of air trapped above the oil, this tank being so placed as to be exposed to heat generated by the prime mover during operation thereof, a conduit leading from below the surface of the oil in the tank to a bearing requiring lubrication, and a fibrous conducting strand within the conduit and extending throughout a substantial proportion of the length thereof, the'operation of the prime mover and the 65 application of heat therefrom to the contents and causing of the tank causing expansion of the contents and the generation of pressure, said pressure causing oil to be discharged from the tank to the conduit, the conductor in the conduit restricting the flow'of oil and also retaining oil within the fibres thereof, the p stoppage of the prime mover and the cooling of the tank causing a partial vacuum to be created therein due to the discharge of oil therefrom, said'partial vacuum causing oil to be drawn back through the conduit toward the tank until said partial vacuum is broken.

14. An oiling system for use in a motor car comprising the combination of a sealed receptacle containing the lubricant, a siphon conduit leading from thereceptacle and connected by lines to the points on the carwhich require lubrication, and means for delivering l heat to the lubricant within the receptacle automatically becoming effective when the motor is put in operation andremaining efy within the vreceptacle automatically lbecoming effectivewhen the motor is placed in operation andremaining 'effective throughout such operation, the said means including a jacket around the receptacle and, meansV for circulating va fluid heated by reason of themotor operation through the jacket.

v Intestimony whereof I aflix my signa-a ture. Y

EDGAR CLARK STANLEY. 

